This was a special week, my friends. Many first time things happened, and I am eager to tell you about them! However, first I must preface this post by telling you that my camera and me are currently in a fight, and it refuses to behave properly. Therefore, I apologize for the lack of pictures and will try to fix this by the next post.
The first abnormal occurrence of the week happened on a Tuesday, but would prove to be an ongoing theme throughout my entire week. I have finals tomorrow and Tuesday, and quite a few papers due on those days as well, so this week had been a kind of “work week,” if you will. Let me just say that attempting to do any kind of real, academic work whilst abroad is next to impossible. It is maybe one of the hardest things I have ever had to do. The reality of this set in on Tuesday when I began to write a paper. Standard length: eight pages, MLA format, etc. I left my class and wondered where the heck I was going to write this thing. I then proceeded to play my own version of academic musical chairs all around London.
I started out at my standard café that I go to most mornings. That was a complete fail; I was way too distracted by the superb people watching and freshly baked pastries. I then tried to go to the park, but it was slightly chillier that day and too cold to do work outside. I then walked to a small café in Mayfair that I know to have no ambiance music, indoor, and very calm and laid back. In true procrastinating fashion, I found myself surfing the web and ordering one cup of tea after the other. Clearly it wasn’t working, so I was left with my last two options: my room or the library of my classroom building.
I know what you all are thinking: “A library? Why didn’t she just go there? I mean, it’s a library.” Do not be so quick to make judgments. This library is the farthest thing from what I would consider a library. Yes, there are books, computers, and a small woman who tells you to be quiet, but it is dinky, dark, microscopic, and was cramped to the max because everyone in the program had the same idea as me. That was a quick trip. It was homeward bound for me.
If any of you have ever attempted to write a research paper in your dorm room or immediate living space, I think you can agree that it is not an easy thing to do. In fact, it’s downright difficult. Your bed is in your peripheral, your roommates are much more interesting than your computer screen, and suddenly cleaning you room is much more important than any assignment.
All of these conflicts and the search for a working area led me to, for the first time, miss my university. I honestly have not missed Wake Forest University the entire time I have been here, with the exception of the people, but this week in my attempt to do any form of academic work, I was pining for the familiar walls of the Z. Smith Reynolds Library. Its eight floors and conveniently placed Starbucks seemed to be calling my name from across the pond. Being studious in Europe is hard enough, but doing so without an established place to do work has maybe been my biggest problem since coming abroad. I’m not sure if this is sad and paints me as a bad student, or just means I may love being abroad a little too much. Either way, I am going to go with the latter. Â
It was kind of a big deal for me to admit to missing some aspect of my university. Lately I have been feeling so detached from all things back home that I hardly think of Wake Forest at all. I soon had to admit to myself that what I was feeling was a bit of nostalgia. Missing the library made me miss my classes, which led me to miss my routine and way of life back on a regular American university campus. And finally, it made me miss my friends and hanging out with everyone. This week I realized that there are some thing Europe will never be able to give me, and I have to admit that in some ways, I am looking forward to returning home.
The second “first time” occurrence of the week was that I had the fortunate opportunity to be a tour guide in London. My friend came to visit me from France and wanted me to show her around. I thought this meant sight-seeing, so I planned out an extensive weekend where we would cover the major historical aspects of central London. I even mapped out a course to avoid taking the underground. Little did I know, however, that my friend wanted me to show her the major shopping districts. In response to this turn of events, I strategically mapped out a walking course that would take us by some sights so that she could see them while still simultaneously leading us to our shopping destinations.
On our walk, I told her some facts about London, a few short cuts, good places to eat and shop, etc. This may sound a bit nerdy and make me seem like a dork, but I felt a small sense of empowerment in being able to show my friend around London. It was nice to have someone looking to you for guidance about a city. It made me feel like I had been living there for years, even though that is clearly not the case.
My final round of “first timers” happened last night. First, my friends and I went out for sushi. Second, I tried a British candy bar. Food is a staple in my life. Seriously, I love food. However, since I have been in London, the food has not seemed particularly enticing. Call me crazy, but the stereotypical dish of fish and chips has never caught my fancy. *Side note, I’m a bit of a health nerd, so anything fried is an immediate no-no for me.* I also do not find the whole “steak and kidney pie with your pint” thing to be as big of a deal as the signs outside of pubs promise it to be. Long story short, food in the UK is not really my cup of tea (intentional pun).
Last night my friends and I really wanted sushi, so we asked around and made our way to this little hole-in-the-wall kind of place in Notting Hill. It looked a bit dodgy (British slang—so European) but we were feeling adventurous. Our spontaneity was rewarded—it was some of the best sushi I have ever had! However, it was a bit expensive so I don’t think going out for sushi in London will become a weekly thing, but hey, at least I tried it!
On our walk home from Notting Hill, we all got a craving for something sweet so we popped into a little convenient store and purchased candy. I am not much of a chocolate person, but honestly the wrapper made it look so good, I had to buy it. I think it also had something to do with the way the British describe their candy. It said something like, “Deliciously smooth chocolate with crumbly bits of toffee and drops of fresh dairy for your sweet pleasure.” Um, hello? My mouth was watering before I paid the clerk. Horray for trying new things!
Well, I’m going to have to wrap this post up, mostly because I am attempting to write another paper in my room again and I fear that I have procrastinated enough. On Wednesday I leave for Ireland and leave from there on Friday for Scotland. I have definitive plans to frolic, try Guinness, and see a sufficient amount of sheep. I will make sure to tell you all about it!